Floor leveling system

ABSTRACT

A floor-leveling system is provided and includes such features as a corner pedestal, a cross-joint pedestal, a side-joint pedestal, an interior pedestal, an exterior frame support, an interior frame support, and drop-in pins that may be used and assembled together to construct a sufficient foundation to collectively support a temporary structure that is placed thereon. These various components may be quickly coupled together in assorted configurations to form the foundation that is sufficiently strong and rigid to suitably support the weight of the structure. Many of the components of the foundation can be adjusted to conform to uneven elevations of the ground surface upon which the foundation is to be placed. The ability of the foundation to be quickly assembled and adapted to uneven elevation significantly reduces the man-power and time required to assemble the foundation and erect the structure thereon.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[S]

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Applicationto Duane Armijo entitled “FLOOR LEVELING SYSTEM,” Ser. No. 61/352,944,filed Jun. 9, 2010, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporatedentirely herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates generally to building components and moreparticularly to components of a floor-leveling system used to supportbuilding walls, floors, and ceilings placed thereon.

2. State of the Art

Every structure should be built upon a solid foundation—one thatproperly transfers the weight of the structure, including the weight ofthe floor, walls, and roof, to the ground surface upon which thefoundation and the structure rest. Moreover, the weight of any structuremust be distributed evenly over the foundation upon which the structurerests so that the weight of a particular part or section of thestructure does not exceed the bearing capacity of the foundation. If thefoundation is not solid, or if the weight of the structure exceeds thebearing capacity of the foundation, the foundation is likely to fail andthe structure will collapse.

Given these considerations, the foundation should maintain solid contactwith the ground surface upon which the foundation rests so as to providea solid base for the support of the structure, and the foundation shouldretain the structure in a level configuration so as to evenly dispersethe weight of the structure over the foundation. Ensuring that theseconsiderations are met results in the structural integrity of thestructure being maintained.

Oftentimes, to meet these considerations, the ground surface is firstleveled or flattened to provide an optimal surface upon which to lay thefoundation. Typically, heavy machinery and extensive man hours arerequired to adequately perform the task. Once complete, the foundationis laid upon the leveled surface.

Temporary, or non-permanent, structures are no different. Temporarystructures, like permanent structures, must have a solid foundation uponwhich to sit to maintain structural integrity. However, with temporarystructures it is usually not possible, not feasible, and noteconomically viable to level or flatten the ground surface upon which atemporary structure will be erected. For example, more often than not,heavy machinery is not available to flatten the ground surface at thelocation where the temporary structure is to be erected. Also, the timeand effort it takes to level, flatten, and prepare the surface uponwhich the structure is to be constructed (and thereafter construct thestructure) is not worth the need for the use of the structure itself.For instance, the time alone required to prepare the ground surface anderect the structure can be longer than the time that the structure willbe used. Indeed, the need for the use of the temporary structure may be,in some cases, only a few hours. Additionally, those who utilize atemporary structure may wish to leave as small an ecological footprintas possible, which precludes the manipulation of the ground surface uponwhich the structure is to be erected.

Accordingly, there is a need for a floor leveling system that solves theaforementioned problems. Specifically, there is a need for a floorleveling system that can quickly and easily be assembled, and yet canmake solid contact with an uneven ground surface to provide structuralintegrity to a non-permanent structure placed thereon.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to building components and moreparticularly to components of a floor-leveling system used tocollectively support a structure placed thereon.

One aspect of the system of the present invention comprises a cornerpedestal, a cross-joint pedestal, a side-joint pedestal, an interiorpedestal, an exterior frame support, an interior frame support, anddrop-in pins that may be used and assembled together to construct asufficient foundation to collectively support a structure that is placedthereon. These various components may be quickly coupled together inassorted configurations to form the foundation that is sufficientlystrong and rigid to suitably support the weight of the structure that isplaced thereon. Moreover, many of the components of the foundation canbe adjusted to conform to uneven elevations of the ground surface uponwhich the foundation is to be placed. The ability of the foundation tobe quickly assembled and adapted to uneven elevation significantlyreduces the man-power and time required to assemble the foundation anderect the structure thereon.

Another aspect of the present invention further comprises the structureof the pedestals. The pedestals may include a base portion that includesa support plate, a base plate, a base shaft, and a threaded rod. Thesupport plate is larger in size than the base plate and may be used tocontact the ground surface to support the weight of the system. In somecases, the support plate can be dispensed with and a base plate alonemay contact the ground surface to support the weight of the system.Where the support plate is desired, the base plate may be coupled to thesupport plate on the top surface of the support plate. The base shaft isfixedly coupled to the base plate. The threaded rod having opposingthread patterns on each side of a center nut that is fixedly coupled tothe center portion of the threaded rod may be threaded into the baseshaft.

Another aspect of the present invention further comprises the pedestalportion of the pedestals. The pedestal portion may include a receiverplate, a pedestal shaft, a shield plate and a spacer plate. The pedestalshaft may be threaded onto the exposed side of the threaded rod. Oncethreaded, jamb nuts on either side of the center nut on the threaded rodmay be used to secure the pedestal shaft and base shaft in position onthe threaded rod. The jamb nuts are threaded toward the base shaft andthe pedestal shaft until one jamb nut contacts the base shaft and theother jamb nut contacts the pedestal shaft to secure each shaft inposition on the threaded rod. The receiver plate further comprises holesin an outer extremity portion thereof. The spacer plate is fixedlycoupled to the receiver plate and extends substantially perpendicularlyfrom the top surface of the receiver plate. The shield plate is fixedlycoupled to the spacer plate behind the spacer plate, such that theshield plate does not contact the receiver plate.

Another aspect of the present invention comprises the various structuralconfigurations of the receiver plate and the corresponding structure ofthe shield plate and spacer plate. Certain embodiments of the pedestalportion include the receiver plate having an L-shape along with thespacer plate and the shield plate. Other embodiments of the pedestalportion include the receiver plate having a T-shape, with the shieldplate and the spacer plate being straight. Yet other embodiments of thepedestal portion include the receiver plate having a straight-shape,with the shield plate and the spacer plate being straight. Still otherembodiments of the pedestal portion include the receiver plate having astraight-shape and the spacer plate or shield plate not being attachedthereto.

Another aspect of the present invention comprises the frame supports,both exterior and interior. The interior frame supports are structuredsimilarly to the exterior frame supports, except that when assembled,the interior frame supports are turned upside down. The exterior andinterior frame supports are L-shaped and include a vertical portion anda horizontal portion. The horizontal portion supports the weight of thestructure to be placed thereon, and the vertical portion providesstrength and rigidity to the horizontal portion and prevents thestructure from sliding off of the horizontal portion. At the ends of thehorizontal portion of each of the exterior and interior frame supports,a c-channel is fixedly coupled thereto. The c-channel is fixedly coupledto the exterior frame support on the underside of the horizontalportion, which is on the opposite side of the vertical portion. Incontrast, the c-channel is fixedly coupled to the interior frame supporton the topside of the horizontal portion, which is on the same side asthe vertical portion. The c-channel defines an opening into which thereceiver plate of each of the pedestals is inserted to couple each ofthe frame supports to each of the pedestals. Thus, when the exteriorframe support is coupled to the pedestal by way of the c-channel beinginserted onto the receiver plate, the c-channel is underneath thehorizontal portion and thus does not interfere with the structure thatis placed on the horizontal portion. As mentioned above, when theinterior frame support is coupled to the pedestal by way of thec-channel, the interior frame support is turned upside down so that thevertical portion is directed downward. Likewise, with the c-channelbeing coupled to the topside of the horizontal portion of the interiorframe support, when the interior frame support is turned upside down,the c-channel is positioned underneath the horizontal portion and thusneither the vertical portion nor the c-channel interferes with thestructure that is placed on the horizontal portion.

Another aspect of the present invention further comprises holes in theframe supports and holes in the accompanying c-channels. The holes allowthe drop-in pins to be inserted through the holes in the frame supports,down through the holes in the respective receiver plates, and outthrough the holes in the c-channel to hold the frame supports on thepedestals. The drop-in pins may be held in place by gravity.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present inventionwill be apparent from the following more detailed description of theparticular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary configuration of afloor-leveling system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a component of the floor-leveling systemin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a component of the floor-leveling systemin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a component of the floor-leveling systemin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a component of the floor-leveling systemin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of several assembled components of thefloor-leveling system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of several assembled components of thefloor-leveling system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a component of the floor-leveling system inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the floor-leveling system with astructure placed thereon in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side view of an embodiment of a component of thefloor-leveling system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the component of the floor-leveling systemshown in FIG. 8 in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a component of thefloor-leveling system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a component of thefloor-leveling system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a component of thefloor-leveling system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a component of thefloor-leveling system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a component of thefloor-leveling system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a component of thefloor-leveling system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a side view of an embodiment of a component of thefloor-leveling system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a component of the floor-levelingsystem in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a component of the floor-levelingsystem in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

As discussed above, embodiments of the present invention relate tobuilding components and more particularly to components of afloor-leveling system used to provide a sufficient foundation to supporta structure thereon, the structure including, for example, a floor, aceiling, and walls.

As shown in FIG. 1, the floor leveling system 100 comprises a cornerpedestal 10, a cross-joint pedestal 40, a side-joint pedestal 50, aninterior pedestal 60, an exterior frame support 70, an interior framesupport 90, and drop-in pins 92. These various components may be quicklycoupled together, as will be described in more detail below, in assortedconfigurations to form the system 100 that is sufficiently strong andrigid to suitably support the weight of a structure 200 placed thereon,as shown in FIG. 9. Moreover, because the system 100 can be adjusted toconform to uneven elevations of the ground surface upon which the system100 is to be placed, the ground surface does not generally have to beleveled or treated before the system 100 is placed thereon. The abilityof the system 100 to be quickly assembled and adapted to unevenelevation significantly reduces the man-power and time required toassemble the system 100 and erect the structure 200 thereon.

As shown in FIG. 2, the corner pedestal 10 comprises a support plate 12,a base plate 14 and a base shaft 16. The base shaft 16 can be fixedlycoupled, such as by welding or other permanent adhesive technique, tothe base plate 14. The base shaft 16 is hollow and the axial directionof the base shaft 16 is substantially perpendicular to the plane of thebase plate 14 under the condition that the base shaft 16 is coupled tothe base plate 14. The interior surface of the base shaft 16 isconfigured to receive the threads of a threaded rod 18, to be describedbelow. The base plate 14 is releasably coupled, such as by bolts orpegs, to the support plate 12 and thus makes contact with the topsurface of the support plate 12, the support plate 12 being larger insize than the base plate 14. The support plate 12 is generally placed onthe ground surface upon which the system 100 is to be placed, such thatthe bottom surface of the support plate 12 directly contacts the groundsurface. In such a configuration, the support plate 12 functions tosupport the weight of the structure 200 that is to be placed upon thesystem 100. The size and shape of the support plate 12 can be determinedbased on several factors. For example, the weight of the structure 200or the firmness of the ground surface upon which the support plate 12 isto be placed can assist in the selection of the appropriate size anddimension of the support plate 12.

The base plate 14 is structured to be sufficiently strong to support theweight of the system 100 and the structure 200 placed thereon withoutthe assistance of the support plate 12. In fact, the base plate 14 can,in certain embodiments, be placed directly on the ground surface tosupport the system 100 and structure 200 placed thereon, without theassistance of the support plate 12. Certain ground surfaces may notprovide substantial surface area for the relatively larger support plate12 to be used effectively. In these cases, it is more convenient toplace the relatively smaller base plate 14 directly on the groundsurface. Moreover, in other cases, where the ground surface upon whichthe system 100 and structure 200 are to be placed is substantially firmenough, the base plate 14 can be placed directly on the ground surfaceand can support the weight of the system 100 and structure 200 withoutnegative effects, such as the base plate 14 dipping or sinking into asoft ground surface.

The corner pedestal 10 further comprises the threaded rod 18, mentionedabove, a center nut 20, and jamb nuts 22. The threaded rod 18 can havethe center nut 20 fixedly coupled thereto, such as by welding or otherpermanent adhesion technique. The threaded rod 18 is threaded on bothsides of the center nut 20 and the thread on either side of the centernut 20 is opposite to one another. For example, the threaded rod 18 mayhave left-hand thread on one side of the center nut 20 and right-handthread on the opposing side, or vice versa. Jamb nuts 22 can be threadedonto the threaded rod 18, one on either side of the center nut 20 toassist in securing the corner pedestal 10 at a vertical elevation, to bedescribed below.

The corner pedestal 10 further comprises a pedestal shaft 24, a receiverplate 26, a spacer plate 28, and a shield plate 30. The pedestal shaft24 is similar to the base shaft 16 in that the pedestal shaft 24 ishollow and the axial direction of the pedestal shaft 24 is substantiallyperpendicular to the plane of the receiver plate 28 under the conditionthat the pedestal shaft 24 is coupled to the receiver plate 28. Theinterior surface of the pedestal shaft 24 is configured to receive thethread of the threaded rod 18.

The receiver plate 26 of the corner pedestal 10 is structured in anL-shape to form a corner. Specifically, the receiver plate 26 is fixedlycoupled, such as by welding or other permanent adhesive technique, tothe pedestal shaft 24 such that the two “legs” of the “L” extendsubstantially perpendicularly from the axis of the pedestal shaft 24 intwo directions, the directions being substantially at right angles toone another to form the L-shape. The receiver plate 26 of the cornerpedestal 10 is structured to receive the exterior frame supports 70. Thelength of each of the two “legs” of the receiver plate 26 issubstantially the same. Holes 32 are placed in the top surface of thereceiver plate 26 toward the ends of the “legs”. The holes 32 aregenerally circular in shape and run entirely through the receiver plate26, such that drop-in pins 92, shown in FIGS. 8 and 11, can be placedwithin the holes 32 and thus penetrate entirely through the receiverplate 26.

Spacer plate 28 is also L-shaped to form a corner. The spacer plate 28is fixedly coupled, such as by welding or other permanent adhesiontechnique, to the receiver plate 26, the corner of the spacer plate 28being positioned proximate the corner of the receiver plate 26. Aportion of the spacer plate 28 is fixedly coupled to the outside edge ofthe receiver plate 26 and the remaining portion of the spacer plate 28extends vertically, relative to the horizontal top surface of thereceiver plate 26, such that the top surface of the receiver plate 26and the remaining portion of the spacer plate 28 are substantiallyperpendicular to one another. The “legs” of the spacer plate 28 runalong the outside edge of the receiver plate 26 and the length of the“legs” of the spacer plate 28 is less than the length of the “legs” ofthe receiver plate 26.

Shield plate 30 is also L-shaped to form a corner. Shield plate 30 isfixedly coupled, such as by welding or other permanent adhesiontechnique, to the spacer plate 28, the corner of the shield plate 30being positioned proximate the corner of the receiver plate 26 and thespacer plate 28. The width of the spacer plate 28 and the shield plate30 are substantially the same, such that the vertical height of thespacer plate 28 and the shield plate 30 are the same. Shield plate 30also extends vertically relative to the horizontal top surface of thereceiver plate 26. The length of the “legs” of the shield plate 30 islarger than the length of the “legs” of the spacer plate 28, such thatthe outer ends of the “legs” of the shield plate 30 extend beyond thespacer plate 28 to create end portions 34. End portions 34 do notcontact the receiver plate 26 and are spaced apart from the outside edgeof the receiver plate 26 by the depth of the spacer plate 28, thuscreating, or defining, a gap 36 between the outer edge of the receiverplate 26 and the inside surface of the shield plate 30. The purpose ofthe gap 36 will be described in further detail below.

As described above, the pedestal shaft 24 is configured to receive thethread of the threaded rod 18. When the pedestal shaft 24 is threadedonto one side of the threaded rod 18 and the base shaft 16 is threadedonto the remaining side of the threaded rod 18, the corner pedestal 10can be set in its desired position within the system 100 and can be setfor elevation. The elevation of the corner pedestal 10, or moreparticularly, the elevation of the receiver plate 26 of the cornerpedestal 10 with respect to the ground surface, can be adjusted, asneeded, by adjusting how much of the threaded rod 18 is threaded intoeither the base shaft 16 or the pedestal shaft 24. Indeed, the amount ofthread of the threaded rod 18 that is threaded into the pedestal shaft24 and the base shaft 16 can be independently adjusted to change theheight of the receiver plate 26 relative to the ground surface. Once thedesired elevation is obtained by adjusting the threaded rod 18, the jambnuts 20 on either side of the center nut 20 can be tightened against thepedestal shaft 24 and the base shaft 16, respectively, to lock thethreaded rod 18 in position and thus lock the corner pedestal 10 at itsdesired elevation.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cross-joint pedestal 40 comprises similarfeatures to the corner pedestal 10 described above. The specificfeatures of the cross-joint pedestal 40 function in accordance with thedescription of the corner pedestal 10, except that the receiver plate26, the spacer plate 28, and the shield plate 30 of cross-joint pedestal40 are of a different configuration. Specifically, the receiver plate 26of cross-joint pedestal 40 is structured in a T-shape, instead of anL-shape. The L-shape, described above with reference to the cornerpedestal 10, is structured to be placed in a corner of the system 100and receive the exterior frame supports 70. In contrast, the T-shape ofthe cross-joint pedestal 40 is structured to be placed on an outer edgeof the system 100, the top of the “T” structured to receive the exteriorframe supports 70, which form the exterior portions of the system 100,and the bottom of the “T” structured to receive the interior framesupports 90, which form the interior portions of the system 100.Furthermore, the spacer plate 28 and the shield plate 30 are notL-shaped, but are instead straight. The spacer plate 28 is fixedlycoupled to the edge of the receiver plate 26 that is opposite theT-portion of the T-shaped receiver plate 26 and the shield plate 30 isfixedly coupled to the spacer plate 28. The length of the shield plate30 is greater than the length of the spacer plate 28 such that theshield plate 30 extends beyond the spacer plate 28 on either side of thespacer plate 28 to create end portions 34. Similar to the end portions34 of the corner pedestal 10, the end portions 34 of the cross-jointpedestal 40 do not contact the receiver plate 26 and are spaced apartfrom the outside edge of the receiver plate 26 by the depth of thespacer plate 28, thus creating, or defining, a gap 36 between the outeredge of the receiver plate 26 and the inside surface of the shield plate30. The purpose of the gap 36 will be described in further detail below.

As shown in FIG. 4, the side-joint pedestal 50 comprises similarfeatures to that of the cross-joint pedestal 40, except that thereceiver plate 26 of the side-joint pedestal 50 is straight and does notcontain a T-portion that is capable of receiving the interior framesupport 90. Specifically, the receiver portion 26 of the side-jointpedestal 50 is configured to receive the exterior frame supports 70 tosupport the exterior of the system 100.

As shown in FIG. 5, the interior pedestal 60 comprises similar featuresto that of the side-joint pedestal 50, except that the side-jointpedestal 50 does not include the spacer plate 28 or the shield plate 30.Indeed, the interior pedestal 60 does not include the spacer plate 28 orthe shield plate 30 because the interior pedestal 60 is to be placed inthe interior of the system 100 and receives the interior frame supports90 to support the interior of the system 100. Therefore, the interiorpedestal 60 has no need of the spacer plate 28 and the shield plate 30,which normally function to keep the wall portions or floor portions ofthe structure 200 from slipping off of the horizontal surfaces of thesystem 100.

As shown in FIG. 6, the system 100 further comprises exterior framesupports 70 and interior frame supports 90. Exterior frame supports 70are substantially L-shaped, the L-shape forming a horizontal portion 72and a vertical portion 74. The exterior frame supports 70 can be ofvarious lengths depending on the need of the system 100. The length ofthe exterior frame supports 70 is defined between a vertical portion end76 and a horizontal portion end 78 on each respective end of theexterior frame support 70. The exterior frame supports 70 have fixedlycoupled thereto, by welding or other permanent adhesion technique, ac-channel 82 on the underside of the horizontal portion 72 near each ofthe horizontal portion ends 78, the c-channel 82 and the underside ofthe horizontal portion 72 defining therebetween an opening 84. Theopening 84 is structured to receive the receiver plate 26 on each of thecorner pedestal 10, the cross-joint pedestal 40, the side-pedestal 50,and the interior pedestal 60. Moreover, each of the horizontal portionends 78 further comprises an angled corner 80. The angled corner 80allows the exterior frame supports 70 to be coupled to the cornerpedestal 10 without the horizontal portion 72 of each of the exteriorframe supports 70 interfering with one another and preventing the properassembly of the exterior frame supports 70 on the corner pedestal 10.The exterior frame supports 70 further comprise pin holes 86 into whichthe drop-in pins 92 can be placed. The pin holes 86 extend through thehorizontal portion 72 of the exterior frame supports 70 and through thec-channel 82, as seen in FIG. 7, in which the drop-in pin 92 is showninserted into the pin holes 86 and the holes 32.

The interior frame supports 90 are similar in structure to the exteriorframe supports 70, except that the c-channel 82 is coupled to theinterior frame supports 90 on the topside of the horizontal portion 72.Then, when the interior frame support 90 is to be mounted to one of thecross-joint pedestal 40 and the interior pedestal 60, the interior framesupport 90 is flipped upside down, such that the vertical portion 74 ispointed generally downward and the c-channel is positioned below thehorizontal portion 72, as shown in FIG. 6. In such a configuration,neither the c-channel 82 nor the vertical portion 74 interferes with thestructure 200 placed upon the system 100, as both the c-channel 82 andthe vertical portion 74 are positioned below the horizontal portion 72that supports the structure 200. Indeed, in such a configuration,although the vertical portion 74 of exterior frame supports 70 extendupward and the vertical portion 74 of interior frame supports 90 extenddownward, the horizontal portion 72 of the exterior frame supports 70and the horizontal portion 72 of the interior frame supports 90 cannevertheless be positioned in the same horizontal plane to support thestructure 200 in an even, and level, arrangement.

As shown in FIG. 7, the exterior frame supports 70 can be coupled to thereceiver plate 26 of the corner pedestal 10. Specifically, the exteriorframe supports 70 are coupled to the corner pedestal 10 by placing theopening 84 in the c-channel 82 onto the receiver plate 26. The receiverplate 26 can then be further slid into the opening 84 until the verticalportion end 76 contacts the vertical edge of the spacer plate 28.Moreover, as the exterior frame support 70 is thus placed onto thecorner pedestal 10, the gap 36 between the back edge of the receiverplate 26 and the front face of the shield plate 30 provides sufficientspace for the outside edge of the c-channel 82 to slide into the gap 36,if needed. With the edge of the c-channel 82 wedged within the gap 36,as described above, the shield plate 30 and the outside edge of thereceiver plate 26 further hold the c-channel 82, and thus the exteriorframe support 70, in place on the receiver plate 26. This also providesgreater rigidity to the system 100.

Although the coupling of the exterior frame supports 70 to the cornerpedestal 10 has been described in detail above, the exterior framesupports 70 may be coupled to each of the cross-joint pedestal 40, theside-pedestal 50, and the interior pedestal 60 in a similar manner.Specifically, the exterior frame supports 70 may slide onto the receiverplate 26 of each of the pedestals 40, 50 and 60, by the c-channel 82being placed onto the receiver plate 26 of each of the respectivepedestals 40, 50 and 60. Moreover, the edge of the c-channel 82 may alsoslide into the gap 36 on each of the cross-joint pedestal 40 and theside-pedestal 50, if needed, as described above in relation to theexterior frame supports 70 and the corner pedestal 10. Furthermore, theinterior frame supports 90 can slide onto and couple to each of thecross-joint pedestal 40 and the interior pedestal 60 in a similar mannerto that of the exterior frame supports 70.

To further secure the exterior frame supports 70 and the interior framesupports 90 to any of the pedestals 10, 40, 50 and 60, drop-in pins 92can be utilized. For example, as the receiver plate 26 is slid into theopening 84 in the c-channel 82, the pin holes 86 in the exterior framesupport 70 match up with and overlap holes 32 in the receiver plate 26.When the pin hole 86 in the exterior frame supports 70 overlaps the hole32, the drop-in pin 92 can be inserted through both the pin hole 86 andthe hole 32 to keep the exterior frame support 70 in position on any ofthe pedestals 10, 40, 50 and 60. Pin holes 86 are also provided in theinterior frame supports 90 and in the c-channels 82 attached thereto.Thus, when the pin hole 86 in the interior frame supports 90 overlapsthe hole 32, the drop-in pin 92 can be inserted through both the pinhole 86 and the hole 32 to keep the interior frame support 90 inposition on any of the pedestals 40 and 60.

As shown in FIG. 8, the drop-in pin 92 comprises a pin head 94 and a pinshaft 96. When used to couple the exterior frame supports 70 andinterior frame supports 90 to any of the corner pedestal 10, thecross-joint pedestal 40, the side-pedestal 50, and the interior pedestal60, the pin shaft 96 is inserted into the holes 86 and 32. The pin shaftpenetrates through the holes 86 and 32 and extends out the underside ofthe exterior frame supports 70 and interior frame supports 90, as thecase may be. The pin head 94 is larger in diameter than the diameter ofthe pin shaft 96 and thus prevents the drop-in pin 92 from slidingcompletely through the holes 86 and 32. Gravity keeps the drop-in pin 92in position, once placed. Alternatively, a small bore hole runningthrough the diameter of the pin shaft 96 may be placed in the end of thepin shaft 96, and a split pin, or an R-clip, may be inserted into thesmall bore hole to prevent the drop-in pin 92 from coming out of theholes 86 and 32. Further in the alternative, the drop-in pin 92 can beheld in place by the flooring placed onto the floor leveling system 100,and specifically onto the frame supports 70 and 90, such that the pins92 are covered and secured in place by the frame supports 70 and 90.

As described above, each of the pedestals 10, 40, 50 and 60 comprisesthe threaded rod 18, the center nut 20 and the jamb nuts 22.Accordingly, any of the pedestals 10, 40, 50 and 60 can be adjusted forelevation by adjusting how much the threaded rod 18 is threaded intoeither the base shaft 16 or the pedestal shaft 24. In this way, theelevation of the receiver plate 26 on any of the respective pedestals10, 40, 50 and 60 can be adjusted for height with respect to the groundsurface. As a result, each pedestal 10, 40, 50 or 60 that is used toconstruct a certain desired configuration of the system 100 can beseparately and independently adjusted for elevation to account for theuneven ground surface upon which the system 100 is placed to place thesystem 100 in a level orientation prior to the structure 200 beingplaced thereon. Moreover, after the system 100 has been leveled and thestructure 200 has been placed thereon, settling may occur. To accountfor settling, each of the pedestals 10, 40, 50 and 60 may be separatelyand independently adjusted to raise the level of the respectivepedestals 10, 40, 50 and 60 to return the system 100 and the structure200 thereon to a level orientation.

In an alternative embodiment of the pedestal configuration describedabove, as shown in FIG. 10, the pedestals 10, 40 and 60 may comprise aplatform unit 44, which includes a hollow box 43, a tube 124 at a bottomportion of the hollow box 43 and an exemplary configuration of areceiver plate 26 at a top portion of the hollow box 43. Specificreceiver plate 26 configurations will be described in greater detailbelow.

The platform unit 44 is closed at its top by the receiver plate 26 thatis fixedly coupled to the top of the hollow box 43 to form the topportion of the platform unit 44. And, the tube 124 extends from thebottom of the hollow box 43. The tube 124 aligns with the opening (notshown) in the bottom of the hollow box 43, such that a shaft 118 can beplaced inside the platform unit 44, including through the tube 124 andthe opening (not shown) in the bottom of the hollow box 43, and theshaft 118 can slide freely within the platform unit 44, including thetube 124 and the hollow box 43, without engaging either the tube 124 orthe hollow box 43.

A riser mechanism 120 may be coupled to the shaft 118. The riser 120engages the shaft 118 and is configured to travel up and down the shaft118 as desired by the user. The riser 120 may engage the shaft 118 byfriction, the riser 120 being clamped about the shaft 118 at a locationon the shaft 118 chosen by the user. Alternatively, the shaft 118 can bea threaded rod. As a threaded rod, the shaft 118 allows the riser 120 tobe a threaded nut. The riser 120, as a threaded nut on a threaded rod,can rotate about the shaft 118 in a continuous interval, instead of atdiscreet intervals or incremental steps. Indeed, the center nut riser120 can travel along most of the length of the threaded shaft 118. Underthe condition that the platform unit 44 is placed over the shaft 118,the center nut riser 120 engages the platform unit 44 at the bottom endof the tube 124. As the center nut riser 120 is rotated about the shaft118, the center nut riser 120 rises or lowers, as the case may be, anddisplaces the platform unit 44 accordingly. In other words, as thecenter nut riser 120 moves up or down the shaft 118, by rotation aboutthe shaft 118, the platform unit 44 is likewise moved up or down,respectively.

Handle-bar arms 21 extend from the riser 120 to assist in rotating theriser 120 about the shaft 118. The arms 21 are fixedly coupled to theriser 120 at opposing sides of the riser 120 to provide the user bettergrip to produce more torque on the riser 120 to get the riser 120 torotate when a heavy load is placed on the receiver plate 26, whichcreates rotational frictional resistance between the engagement of thetube 124 and the riser 120.

As mentioned above, the receiver plate 26 is the top portion of theplatform unit 44. As the riser 120 is adjusted along the length of theshaft 118, the riser 120 engages the platform unit 44 and adjusts theheight of the platform unit 44, and thus the receiver plate 26, abovethe base 14. Due to the fact that the base 14 rests on the surface onwhich the system 100 is being erected, adjusting the position of theriser 120 along the length of the shaft 118 adjusts the distance betweenthe receiver plate 26 and the base plate 14, or in other words thedistance between the receiver plate 26 and the ground surface.

As described above, the support plate 12 may be coupled to the baseplate 14. In an embodiment, the support plate 12 is releasably slidablycoupled to the base plate 14, so that the base plate 14 can be easilyengaged or released from engagement, as desired by the user, by slidingthe base plate 14 out of engagement with the support plate 12. As shownin FIG. 10, braces 13 are attached to the support plate 12 and functionto allow the base plate 12 to slide into the braces 13 such that thebraces 13 engage the top face of the base plate 14 and secure the baseplate 14 to the support plate 12. Once coupled to the base plate 14, thesupport plate 12 rests below the base plate 14 and contacts the groundsurface. The footprint of the support plate 12 is larger than thefootprint of the base plate 12 and thus can provide added stability tothe system 100.

As shown in FIG. 10, the shaft 118 can have coupled thereto a collar 46.The collar 46 is coupled to the top end of the shaft 118 and functionsto engage the interior base of the hollow box 43, such that when theriser 120 is moved up the shaft 118, the interior of the hollow box 43will contact the underside of the collar 46 and prevent the riser 120from further rising so as to not allow the riser 120 to push theplatform unit 44 up and off of the shaft 118.

As shown in FIG. 12, the corner pedestal 10 can have a square-shapedreceiver plate 26. The square-shaped receiver plate 26 has through holes32 in opposing corners of the plate 26. Additionally, in a corner of thesquare-shaped receiver plate 26 that does not have a through hole 32, asupport member 130 protrudes upward from the plate 26. The supportmember 130, in conjunction with the exterior frame supports 70,functions to help secure any floor member (not shown) placed on thesystem 100 from sliding off or disengaging from the system 100. Thethrough holes 32 in the square-shaped receiver plate are configured tocorrespond with the through holes 86 in the frame supports 170 and 190.The frame supports 170 and 190 can thus be placed directly on thesquare-shaped receiver plate 26, the through holes 86 can be alignedwith the through holes 32 and the drop-in pins 92 can be insertedthrough both through holes 86 and 32 to secure the frame supports 170 or190 to the corner pedestal 10. The receiver plate 26 thus supports theframe supports 170 or 190 thereon.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the frame supports 170 and 190 have anL-shaped cross section. The through holes 86 are positioned in the framesupports 170 and 190 at opposing ends of the frame supports 170 and 190and only one side of the frames 170 and 190. In this way, when theexterior frame support 170 is coupled to the pedestal 10, the throughhole 86 is positioned in the horizontally oriented section of the “L”shape and the vertically oriented section of the “L” shape points upwardaway from the ground surface and corresponds to the vertically orientedsupport member 130 of the pedestal 10 to create a vertical perimeteraround the system 100 that prevents the flooring, or flooring sections,placed thereon from sliding off the system 100. On the other hand, whenthe interior frame support 190 is placed on one of the pedestals 40 or60 in the interior of the system 100, the vertically oriented section ofthe “L” shape points downward away from the ground surface so as to notinterfere with the flooring, or flooring sections, placed on the system100. Also, as shown in FIG. 19, the interior frame support 190 definesan opening 192 in the vertically oriented section of the “L” shape. Theopening 192 allows the horizontally oriented section of the “L” frame torest on and couple to the through hole 32 in the middle of the interiorlength of the receiver plate 26 of the pedestal 40 without thevertically oriented section of the “L” frame interfering with thereceiver plate 26 of the pedestal 40. When coupling to the interiorpedestal 60, the vertically oriented sections of the “L” frame of theinterior frame support 190 fit to the side of the receiver plate 26 anddo not interfere with the coupling to the receiver plate.

Once the exterior frame supports 170 are coupled to the corner pedestal10 at the receiver plate 26, the riser 120 of the pedestal 10 can beoperated to adjust the height of the receiver plate 26 and consequentlythe height of the frame supports 170 coupled thereto. In this way, theframe supports 170 can be adjusted to rest in a level plane above thesurface to thereby support the flooring that has been placed on theframe supports 170 in the same level plane above the surface.Additionally, once the interior frame supports 190 are coupled to theinterior pedestal 60 at the receiver plate 26, as will be discussedbelow, the riser 120 of the pedestal 60 can be operated to adjust theheight of the receiver plate 26 and consequently the height of the framesupports 190 coupled thereto. In this way, the frame supports 190 can beadjusted to rest in a level plane above the surface to thereby supportthe flooring that has been placed on the frame supports 190 in the samelevel plane above the surface.

As shown in FIG. 13, the cross-joint pedestal 40 can have arectangular-shaped receiver plate 26, with through holes 32 positionedin neighboring corners along a length of the receiver plate 26 andanother through hole 32 positioned near the midpoint of the opposinglength of the receiver plate 26. In this configuration, exterior framesupports 170 can be coupled to the pedestal 40 concurrently with aninterior frame support 190. Specifically, a through hole 86 of anexterior frame support 170 can be aligned with one of the through holes32 in the corner of the receiver plate 26. Once aligned, the pin 92 canbe placed through the aligned holes 86 and 32 to couple the exteriorframe support 170 to the pedestal 40. Similarly, another exterior framesupport 170 can be coupled to the pedestal 40 at the other through hole32 at the neighboring corner along the length of the receiver plate 26.Also, similarly, an interior frame support 190 can be coupled to thepedestal 40 by aligning the opening 192 in the frame support 190 to thepedestal 40 and aligning the through hole 86 on the frame support 190near the opening 192 to the through hole 32 at the midpoint of thereceiver plate 26. Thus, the pedestal 40 functions as a t-joint,coupling to and supporting two exterior frame supports 170 on opposingends of the receiver plate 26, the two exterior frame supports 170forming an outer perimeter of the system 100, and one interior framesupport 190 at the midway point of the receiver plate 26, the interiorframe support 190 forming part of the interior support structure of thesystem 100. Of course, the vertical portion of the L-shaped exteriorframe supports 170 is directed upward and away from the ground surfaceto form the outer perimeter discussed above, and as shown in FIGS. 1, 6,and 7. Moreover, the vertical portion of the L-shaped interior framesupports 190 is directed downward toward the ground surface, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 7, so as to not interfere with the floor surface that willbe placed on and supported by the system 100. And, the opening 192allows the vertically oriented section of the “L” frame of the interiorframe support 190 to not contact and interfere with the pedestal 40.

As shown in FIG. 14, the interior pedestal 60 can have arectangular-shaped receiver plate 26, with through holes 32 positionedat the midpoint of opposing widths of the receiver plate 26. In thisconfiguration, interior frame supports 190 can be coupled to thepedestal 60 at opposing ends of the receiver plate 26. Specifically, athrough hole 86 of an interior frame support 190 can be aligned with oneof the through holes 32 in the receiver plate 26. Once aligned, the pin92 can be placed through the aligned holes 86 and 32 to couple theinterior frame support 190 to the pedestal 60. Similarly, anotherinterior frame support 190 can be coupled to the pedestal 60 at theother through hole 32 at the opposing length of the receiver plate 26.Thus, the pedestal 60 functions as an interior-joint, coupling to andsupporting two interior frame supports 190 on opposing widths of thereceiver plate 26, the two interior frame supports 190 forming part ofthe interior support structure of the system 100. Of course, thevertical portion of the L-shaped interior frame support 190 is directeddownward toward the ground surface, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, so as tonot interfere with the floor surface that will be placed on andsupported by the system 100. And, as mentioned above, the verticallyoriented sections fit to the side of the receiver plate 26 so as to notinterfere or disrupt the coupling of the frame supports 190 to thepedestal 60. Alternatively, the pedestal 60 could function as anexterior frame joint, similarly to pedestal 50. In other words, insteadof coupling interior frame supports 170 to opposing sides of thereceiver plate 26, the pedestal 60 can have coupled thereto two exteriorframe supports 190 on opposing sides of the receiver plate. Such ascenario arises when an exterior pedestal is needed, but it isunnecessary to couple an interior cross-joint to that particularexterior pedestal.

As shown in FIG. 15, an embodiment of the system 100 includes a pedestal150. Pedestal 150 comprises the features described above with respect topedestal 50, but further comprises a second shaft 218, a second risermechanism 220, a receptacle 144 that defines an opening 143 in a topportion thereof, and a through hole 132. The second shaft 218 couples tothe same base plate 14 that couples to the shaft 118, such that the baseplate 14 can couple to a single support plate 12, as shown in FIG. 15.Alternatively, the second shaft can couple to a different base plate 14than the base plate 14 to which the shaft 118 is coupled. However,similarly to the shaft 118, the second shaft 218 is coupled to the baseplat 14 at one end and protrudes orthogonally from the base plate 14.The second riser mechanism 220 engages the second shaft 218 and isconfigured to travel up and down the shaft 218. The second risermechanism 220 further engages the base of the receptacle 144 and movesthe receptacle 144 up and down the shaft 218 as the second riser 220moves up and down on the shaft 218. The receptacle 144 has an opening(not shown) in the bottom portion thereof, such that the shaft 218 canfit inside the opening and not engage the receptacle 144 as thereceptacle 144 moves up and down the shaft in response to movement ofthe second riser 220. The second shaft 218 is positioned on the baseplate 14 so as to not interfere with the coupling of the support frames170 or 190 to the pedestal 60. Pedestal 150 is useful to support thecolumn 145 at an exterior side joint of the system 100.

The second riser 120 engages the second shaft 218 and is configured totravel up and down the shaft 218 as desired by the user. The riser 220may engage the shaft 218 by friction. For example, the riser 220 can beclamped about the shaft 218 at a location (i.e., height) on the shaft218 chosen by the user. As shown in FIG. 18, the shaft 218 can be athreaded rod. As a threaded rod, the shaft 218 allows the riser 220 tobe a threaded nut. The riser 220, as a threaded nut on a threaded rod,can rotate about the shaft 218 in a continuous interval, instead of atdiscreet intervals or incremental steps. Indeed, the center nut riser220 can travel along most of the length of the threaded shaft 218. Underthe condition that the receptacle 144 is placed over the shaft 218, thecenter nut riser 220 engages the receptacle 144 and as the center nutriser 220 is rotated about the shaft 218, the center nut riser 220 risesor lowers, as the case may be, and displaces the receptacle 144accordingly. In other words, as the center nut riser 220 moves up ordown the shaft 218, by rotation about the shaft 218, the receptacle 144is likewise moved up or down, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 18, the second shaft 218 may have a collar 146 coupledto the top thereof. The second collar 146 functions similarly to thecollar 46, in that collar 146 functions to engage the interior base ofthe receptacle 144, such that when the second riser 220 is moved up theshaft 218, the interior of the receptacle 144 will contact the undersideof the collar 146 and prevent the receptacle 144 from rising further, sothat the riser 220 cannot push the receptacle 144 up and off of theshaft 218.

As shown in FIG. 15, the receptacle 144 further comprises through holes132 placed in opposing sides of the receptacle 144. The receptacle 144defines an opening 143, wherein a column 145, or other support member ofthe system 100, as shown in FIG. 18, may be placed within the receptacle144 and supported by the receptacle 144. The column 145 has throughholes therein (not shown), such that when the column 145 is placedwithin the receptacle 144, the through holes in the column 145 line upwith the through holes 132 in the receptacle 144 to allow the pins 92 tocouple the column 145 to the receptacle 144. Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 18, a nut and bolt combination 192 can be utilized to pass throughthe through holes of the column 145 as well as through the through holes132 of the receptacle 144 to secure the column 145 to the receptacle144.

As shown in FIG. 16, the system 100 further comprises corner pedestal110. The corner pedestal 110 comprises the features described above withrespect to pedestal 10 and further comprises the features of the secondshaft 218, the second riser mechanism 220, the receptacle 144 thatdefines the opening 143, and the through holes 132 described above.Similarly to the pedestal 150, the pedestal 110 comprises the secondshaft 218 that couples to the same base plate 14 that couples to theshaft 118, such that the base plate 14 having both shafts 118 and 218coupled thereto can couple to a single support plate 12, as shown inFIG. 16. Alternatively, the second shaft can couple to a different baseplate 14 than the base plate 14 to which the shaft 118 is coupled. Also,as described above, the second shaft 218 of the pedestal 110 ispositioned on the base plate 14 so as to not interfere with the couplingof the support frames 170 or 190 to the pedestal 10 positioned near thepedestal 10. Pedestal 110 is useful to support the column 145 at anexterior corner of the system 100.

As shown in FIG. 17, the system 100 further comprises a pedestal 190.The pedestal 190 comprises a pedestal 15 and further comprises thefeatures of the second shaft 218, the second riser mechanism 220, thereceptacle 144 that defines the opening 143, and the through holes 132described above with respect to pedestals 150 and 110. The pedestal 15comprises the features of the pedestals 10, 40 and 60 described above,specifically with regard to the shaft 118, the riser 110 and theplatform unit 44 and their functional interaction. The pedestal 15comprises a receiver plate 26 that has a square-like shape with a notch115 cut out of one of the corners. The receiver plate 26 of pedestal 15has through holes 32 positioned proximate the notch 115 and anotherthrough hole 32 in a corner that opposes the notch 115. The through hole32 that is positioned in the corner that opposes the notch 115 isadapted to correspond to the through hole 86 of an interior framesupport 190 such that the interior frame support 190 can be supported onthe receiver plate 26 and coupled to the receiver plate 26 by a pin 92placed through the through holes 32 and 86. The two other through holes32 positioned proximate the notch 115 are adapted to correspond to thethrough holes 86 of respective exterior frame supports 170 such thateach exterior frame support 170 can be supported by the receiver plate26 and coupled thereto by the pin 92 engaging the respective throughholes 32 and 86. Because the pedestal 190 is useful in the system 100 atan interior corner on the exterior of the system 100, the notch 115allows the shaft 218 that holds pedestal 144 to remain the same distancefrom the shaft 118 as the distance between the shafts 218 and 118 ofpedestals 110 and 150. Pedestals 110, 150, and 190 are configured suchthat the respective receptacles 144 are positioned on the exterior sideof the system 100. As such, pedestals 110, 150, and 190 are useful tosupport exterior features of the system 100 or adjacent to the system100.

A method of using the system 100 will hereinafter be described. Toassemble the system 100, a user may plan a configuration of a buildingor structure to be erected, and determine what footprint the buildingwill have. For example, the desired configuration may be a square. Or,in other embodiments, the desired configuration may be a rectangle. Inyet other embodiments, the configuration may be a collection of squaresand rectangles pieced together. Indeed, the desired configuration of thesystem 100 may require any number of the pedestals to be used, or, onthe other hand, may require a number of certain types of the pedestalsto be used, but none of the remaining types of pedestals. Moreover,smaller configurations of the system 100 may only require that theexterior frame supports be used and not the interior frame supports.Needless to say, the system 100 is adaptable to any desiredconfiguration incorporating a collection of squares and rectangles,because the collection, and interchangeability, of the pedestals andframe supports allow freedom of choice to the user. Based on thefootprint of the building or structure to be erected, a user can thendetermine which portions of the system 100 are needed to construct theparticular footprint.

After selecting the desired configuration, or footprint, the user mayassess the configuration and assign the required pedestal to eachintersection of the frame supports that will be utilized to constructthe desired configuration. The user may then lay out a desiredconfiguration for the system 100 on which the structure will be placed.Thereafter, the support plate, the base plate, or both, of eachrespective pedestal may be laid out on the ground surface at theintersections of the exterior frame supports and the interior framesupports. The shaft may then be coupled to each of the base shafts. Theappropriate receiver plate configuration can then be coupled to theshaft. Alternatively, the pedestals may be pre-assembled prior to beingset out and used by the user. Thus, after setting out the pre-assembledcomponents or after assembling the individual components on sight, theuser may then adjust the height of each of the individual pedestals.

Alternatively, the user can engage the frame supports with therespective pedestals by placing frame supports onto the respectivereceiver plates. After the frame supports are engaged with therespective receiver plates, the drop-in pins can be inserted into eachof the through holes in the respective receiver plates and framesupports to further secure the frame supports to each of the respectivepedestals. After securing the frame supports with the drop-in pins inthis manner, the system 100 can be adjusted for elevation. Specifically,each of the pedestals that are used to construct the system 100 can beseparately and individually adjusted for height to ensure that each ofthe frame supports is in a level plane with respect to each of the otherframe supports. This ensures that the entire system 100 is level. Oncelevel, or once the desired elevation has been set, a flooring structurecan be placed on the system 100. Thereafter, each pedestal of the system100 can be adjusted for height to ensure that each of the frame supportsis in the level plane with respect to the other frame supports. Then,after leveling the system with the floor thereon, the structure 200,including floors and building, may be assembled on the system 100.Thereafter, each pedestal of the system 100 can be adjusted for heightto ensure that each of the frame supports is still in the level planewith respect to the other frame supports. After the weight of the floorand/or the weight of the building is placed on the system 100, or evenfrom the passage of time, the ground surface on which the system 100 isplaced, may settle and shift. Thus, it is necessary to be able to adjustthe plane of the system 100 at any time before, during, or afterplacement of the structure 200 on the system. In this way, the system100 ensures that the building 200 remains on a level plain despite theuneven ground surface on which the system rests. The system 100 may bedisassembled by reversing one or more of the steps described above.

The step of adjusting any of the pedestals further comprises and herebyincorporates any of the steps described above that relate to theintended operation of the structural aspects of the pedestals,including, but not limited to, adjusting the shaft or the riser toengage the platform unit to thus raise or lower the receiver plate thathas the frame supports coupled thereto.

Due to the ease of assembly and the adaptability to uneven surfaces, thesystem 100 of the present invention allows the user to quickly providetemporary structures where needed and only for the duration of the needwithout requiring substantial preparation of the ground surface thatoftentimes results in permanent damage to the environment after thetemporary structure has been disassembled and moved.

The embodiments and examples set forth herein were presented in order tobest explain the present invention and its practical application and tothereby enable those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use theinvention. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognizethat the foregoing description and examples have been presented for thepurposes of illustration and example only. The description as set forthis not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to theprecise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possiblein light of the teachings above without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention.

1. A pedestal of a floor leveling system, comprising: a base having atop face and a bottom face, the bottom face adapted to engage a surfaceon which the system rests; a shaft having opposing ends, one of the endsbeing coupled to the base such that the shaft extends orthogonally fromthe base; a platform unit having a receiver plate on a top portionthereof; and a riser mechanism functionally engaged with the shaft, theriser mechanism being configured to support the platform unit thereonand to transition along the shaft, wherein a height of the receiverplate above the surface is adjustable within a predetermined range bymoving the riser mechanism along the length of the shaft.
 2. Thepedestal of a floor leveling system of claim 1, the platform unitfurther comprising: the receiver plate having a top face and a bottomface; a hollow box defining a cavity therein, the box being coupled tothe bottom face of the receiver plate, the hollow box having an openingin a bottom surface thereof; and a tube having a top end and a bottomend, the top end being coupled to the bottom surface of the box and thetube extending below the box, the tube aligning with the opening in thebox, and wherein the tube and the opening in the hollow box fit onto theshaft so that under the condition that the riser mechanism raises andlowers the platform unit the riser mechanism engages the bottom end ofthe tube and the shaft slides freely within the tube and the opening. 3.The pedestal of a floor leveling system of claim 1, wherein the shaft isa threaded rod and the riser mechanism is a bolt that threads onto therod and transitions along the length of the rod in a continuous intervalwithin the predetermined range in response to being rotated about therod.
 4. The pedestal of a floor leveling system of claim 1, furthercomprising: a support plate that releasably couples to the bottom faceof the base plate to support the pedestal, the support plate beinglarger in size than the base plate and residing between the base plateand the surface on which the system rests.
 5. The pedestal of a floorleveling system of claim 3, further comprising: a handle bar coupled tothe bolt that extends outwardly from the bolt to assist in the rotationof the bolt about the threaded rod.
 6. The pedestal of a floor levelingsystem of claim 1, further comprising: a support wall protruding fromthe receiver plate, wherein the receiver plate has a square-shaped topsurface that has through holes positioned in opposing corners thereof,and wherein the support wall protrudes from the receiver plate proximatea corner not occupied by one of the through holes.
 7. The pedestal of afloor leveling system of claim 1, wherein the receiver plate has arectangular-shaped top surface that has through holes positioned in eachof neighboring corners of a length of the rectangle and another throughhole positioned proximate the midpoint of the opposing length of therectangle.
 8. The pedestal of a floor leveling system of claim 1,wherein the receiver plate has a rectangular-shaped top surface that hasthrough holes positioned proximate the midpoint of opposing widths ofthe rectangle.
 9. The pedestal of a floor leveling system of claim 1,further comprising: a second shaft having opposing ends, one of the endsbeing coupled to the base such that the second shaft extendsorthogonally from the base; a platform unit having a box-shapedreceptacle on a top portion thereof, the receptacle having an open top;and a riser mechanism functionally engaged with the second shaft, theriser mechanism being configured to support the box-shaped receptaclethereon and to transition along the second shaft, wherein a height ofthe box-shaped receptacle above the surface is adjustable within apredetermined range by moving the riser mechanism along the length ofthe second shaft.
 10. A pedestal of a floor leveling system, comprising:a base plate adapted to engage a surface on which the system rests; abase plate tube coupled to a top portion of the base plate and extendingorthogonally from the base plate, a receiver plate; a receiver platetube coupled to an underside portion of the receiver plate and extendingorthogonally from the receiver plate; and a shaft having opposing ends,the shaft being configured to engage the base plate tube at one of theopposing ends and to engage the receiver plate tube at the other of theopposing ends to support the receiver plate at an adjustable distanceabove the surface, wherein the distance is adjustable within apredetermined range by adjusting the engagement between the shaft andone or both of the base plate tube and the receiver plate tube.
 11. Thepedestal of a floor leveling system of claim 10, wherein the shaft isthreaded and has fixedly attached thereto a turning mechanism, andwherein each of the receiver plate tube and the base plate tube isinternally threaded to engage the threads of the shaft, so that byrotating the turning mechanism the engagement between the shaft and oneor both of the receiver plate tube and the base plate tube is adjusted,wherein threading the shaft into one or both of the receiver plate tubeand the base plate tube decreases the exposed length of the threadedshaft to thus decrease the distance between the receiver plate and thesurface, and wherein threading the shaft out of one or both of thereceiver plate tube and the base plate tube increases the exposed lengthof the threaded shaft to increase the distance between the receiverplate and the surface.
 12. The pedestal of a floor leveling system ofclaim 11, further comprising: locking mechanisms on the threaded shafton each side of the turning mechanism, wherein one of the lockingmechanisms is positioned against the base plate tube and the other ofthe locking mechanisms is positioned against the receiver plate tube tolock the engagement between the threaded shaft and each of the baseplate tube and the receiver plate tube.
 13. The pedestal of a floorleveling system of claim 10, further comprising: a support plate thatcouples to the underside portion of the base plate and supports thepedestal thereon, the support plate resting on the surface between thesurface and the base plate.
 14. The pedestal of a floor leveling systemof claim 10, further comprising: a spacer plate coupled to a length ofthe receiver plate, the spacer plate extending orthogonally from a topsurface of the receiver plate; and a shield plate coupled to the spacerplate, such that the spacer plate is positioned between the receiverplate and the shield plate, the spacer plate creating a gap between thereceiver plate and the shield plate.
 15. The pedestal of a floorleveling system of claim 10, wherein the receiver plate of the pedestalis shaped in one of an L-shaped pattern, a T-shaped pattern, or astraight pattern.
 16. A floor leveling system, comprising: a pluralityof frame beams that support a floor thereon; and a plurality ofpedestals, each pedestal comprising: a base having a top face and abottom face, the bottom face adapted to engage a surface on which thesystem rests; a shaft having opposing ends, one of the ends beingcoupled to the base such that the shaft extends orthogonally from thebase; a platform unit having a receiver plate on a top portion thereof;and a riser mechanism functionally engaged with the shaft, the risermechanism being configured to support the platform unit thereon and totransition along the shaft, wherein a height of the receiver plate abovethe surface is adjustable within a predetermined range by moving theriser mechanism along the length of the shaft, and wherein the receiverplates of the pedestals are coupled to the frame beams and support theframe beams at a distance above the surface, each of the pedestals beingindependently adjustable to a desired height within a predeterminedrange to place the floor in a level plane above the surface.
 17. Amethod of using a floor leveling system, the method comprising: settingout the pedestals on a surface on which system rests; setting out theframe beams between the pedestals; coupling the frame beams to thepedestals; adjusting the height of the pedestals to level the framebeams; placing a floor on the level frame beams, wherein the floor issupported in a level plane above the surface; and erecting a structureon the level floor above the surface.
 18. The method of using a floorleveling system of claim 17, further comprising: generating a buildingfootprint; determining the system components needed to create thefootprint; setting out the system components on a surface on which thesystem will be placed according to the respective position of eachcomponent within the footprint; and assembling the individual systemcomponents prior to assembling the individual components to one another.19. The method of using a floor leveling system of claim 17, furthercomprising: adjusting the height of the individual pedestals accordingto one or more of the following: prior to coupling the frame beams tothe individual pedestals; after coupling the frame beams to theindividual pedestals to place the frame beams in a level plane above thesurface; after the floor has been placed on the frame beams to place thefloor in a level plane; or after a structure has been placed on thefloor and the surface has settled.
 20. The method of using a floorleveling system of claim 17, wherein adjusting the height of thepedestals further comprises adjusting a riser mechanism coupled to ashaft having opposing ends, one of the ends being coupled to a baseresting on the surface such that the shaft extends orthogonally from thebase, and the other of the ends functionally engaging a platform unit,the platform unit having a receiver plate coupled to a top portionthereof, the riser mechanism being configured to support the platformunit thereon and transition along the shaft to raise or lower thereceiver plate as the riser mechanism moves along the shaft supportingthe platform unit.